Homard & Oysters

19th-century Belgian school oil painting on canvas, signed H. Bellis in the lower right corner, for the artist Josse-Lambert Hubert Bellis (1831-1902). The painting possesses a subtle texture to the touch.

The artwork is a still life featuring a lobster and oysters, laid out on what appears to be a white tablecloth, complete with lemon and a dark bottle. This still life is executed with comma-shaped brushstrokes reminiscent of the Impressionist movement. The choice of organic background colors and the brilliant red lobster seem to indicate a familiar setting; something sumptuous and delicious in an informal and relaxed setting. It is speculated that Bellis created this piece after the 1870s, during a period when his artistic approach matured, reflecting a refined quest for essence.

About the artist:

Josse-Lambert Hubert Bellis was a Belgian painter and decorator, born in Brussels on January 6, 1831. He passed away in Schaerbeek (near Brussels) on April 16, 1902. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. In 1857, soon after his education, he and his brother Charles-Louis founded a decoration business in Brussels. The following year, in response to the limiting practices of official salons, Bellis established the Atelier Effort on a floor of his business premises. This workshop became a sanctuary for free artistic exploration, attracting the emerging talents of the Belgian avant-garde.

Bellis later embarked on decoration ventures across Europe, earning acclaim post-1870 through his salon and gallery exhibitions. His still life paintings, especially those depicting seafood, stood out for combining classical composition with a post-impressionist sensibility aimed at capturing the essence. Bellis' legacy endures through his works displayed in Belgian museums and the prestigious Musée d'Orsay in Paris, which also holds a collection of his still lifes.

• Overall Size: 18.1" x 22" / 46.5cm x 56.5cm.
• Country: Belgium. 
  
• Signed: Josse-Lambert Hubert Bellis (1831-1902).
• Date: Late 1800's.
• Condition: The canvas, well over a century old, bears various traces, marks, and veins. Restoration marks are apparent in the upper left corner of the canvas. 
  
• Materials: Oil on stretched canvas.
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